In Too Deep
by GoldenNickel
Summary: Emma Clark grew up with her abusive father. Fred Weasley II is the only one who can get Emma to truly be happy. But during their 7th year at Hogwarts, something happens that causes Emma to shut down completely, and not even Fred can get through to her.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Finally a new story! Alright, Writer's block sucks. But hopefully I've finally developed enough of an idea for this story to get me out of it. I have plans for this story, so subscribe and review! :D  
>Yes, there are slash couples in this. Including but not limited to RoseOC, and Albus/Scorpius. Don't like, don't read. :) If you don't mind slash, read on and enjoy. :D  
><strong>

Emma Clark was rushing around her bedroom, throwing things into her trunk and looking for anything she might have missed. The last thing she wanted to do was have to write her father to send her something she'd forgotten. Her room was practically bare, now. Almost everything she owned was stuffed into her large Hogwarts trunk.

Nothing hung on Emma's walls. She didn't feel the need to decorate. This house wasn't her home. The only place she felt at home was Hogwarts.

Emma took a hair band off her wrist and pulled her shoulder length red hair into a loose bun. She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose back into place and kept packing. A calico Scottish Fold cat walked into the room and began rubbing on Emma's legs. Emma smiled and picked the cat up.

"Hello Autumn," she said, petting the cat's head, "You're such a pretty girl." She gave the cat one last hug and then set her down. "You better play while you can. Once it's time to go, you're gonna be stuck in the crate until we get to Hogwarts. I know you don't like the crate, but Hogwarts is way better than here, isn't it, girl?"

As if she understood, Autumn blinked and then darted out of the room.

Deciding to take a short break, Emma walked into the kitchen to find something to eat. She opened the fridge and was looking around when a loud noise made her jump and spin around. Aaron Clark had slammed his hand down on the counter, and was now smirking at Emma's reaction.

"You're still here?" he asked, looking at his daughter with contempt. "I thought you were going back to that freak school of yours."

"Fred's going to be here in an hour to take me to the train," Emma said, staring at the floor, her voice barely audible.

"How many times do I have to tell you to speak up?" Aaron snarled, and Emma made a small squeaking noise.

"Sorry," she said a bit louder, "I'll just go finish packing."

With that she hurried out of the kitchen and back upstairs, deciding that she'd have to get something to eat on the train.

* * *

><p>Fred Weasley II knocked on the Clark's front door, and when Emma opened it, she smiled brightly and threw her arms around him. The Slytherin boy squeezed her back, equally as tight, and spun her around a bit.<p>

"I'm so glad you're here, Freddie," Emma said, pulling him inside by the hand.

When they reached her room, Emma threw some last, miscellaneous items, including her Hufflepuff Scarf, into her trunk and slammed it shut. She picked up Autumn, who had been sleeping on Emma's bed, and gently put her into her travel crate.

"Ready?" Emma asked Fred, smiling at him.

Fred nodded, taking the trunk's handle from Emma and walked with it back to the front door.

Emma's father was standing in the kitchen, glaring at the pair of students.

"I'm leaving dad," Emma said tentatively.

Her father just nodded his head and walked back into the living room.

"He makes me sick," Fred noted, staring at the place where Aaron had disappeared in disgust.

"Let's just go," Emma said, less cheery.

Fred nodded. In one hand, he had Emma's trunk, and in the other he had her hand. Emma carried Autumn's crate in the hand that wasn't held by Fred. They walked together to where George Weasley was waiting in the family's car.

"Hello Emma," George said, smiling at the girl.

"Hello Mr. Weasley," Emma said, avoiding eye contact.

"You can call me George, you know," George replied, "You're practically family."

Emma didn't reply and climbed awkwardly into the car, setting Autumn on the seat next to her. Roxanne, Fred's twin sister, was sitting in the front seat next to her father, and turned around to smile at the Hufflepuff girl. Roxanne brushed her dark red hair out of her face and beamed at Emma.

"Bet we'll have some awesome classes this year, huh? Finally in our 7th year! Are you excited?"

Emma nodded, but didn't make eye contact. She found herself rubbing her left arm with her right hand, and cursed herself for being so bad at talking to most people. Fred seemed to be the only one she could talk to without feeling awkward.

George glanced at his son, looking slightly worried, as he always did when Emma was around. Fred sighed and hefted Emma's trunk into the trunk of the car, which was much bigger on the inside, and then climbed into the back seat of the car next to Emma.

* * *

><p>Roxanne went off to sit with Lysander, Lorcan, Lily, and Lucy while Emma and Fred found an empty compartment on the train to sit together. Emma sat down, leaning against the back of the seat.<p>

"Are you okay?" Fred asked, sitting next to his friend, looking worried.

"I'm fine," Emma said, sounding very unconvincing.

Fred put a hand on Emma's shoulder, and Emma instinctively jumped back.

"Does he still hit you?" Fred asked gently, and Emma pulled away. She didn't reply, and instead just stared out the window, watching the country side roll by as the train began to move.

Fred didn't ask any more and just pulled Emma into a gentle hug. She felt a small smile form on her face and leaned further into his chest, happy to finally be going back to Hogwarts and happy to have her best friend with her again.

* * *

><p>Emma sat down on her bed in the dorm room she shared with two younger Hufflepuffs, Rose Weasley and Rose's girlfriend Abigail Phillips. The two Hufflepuffs Emma had shared with during her sixth year had complained to Headmistress McGonagall about having to share a room with someone who was "such a downer," and Rose and Abigail had offered to share their room, which had an empty bed anyway, with Emma. Rose, like every other WeasleyPotter, was protective of Emma since she was so close to Fred.

Emma was grateful for Rose and Abigail's kindness, but sometimes Rose was a bit too curious for Emma's liking. She always tried to get Emma to talk about her problems, but no one but Fred could ever get Emma to open up.

Rose walked into the room and smiled at Emma.

"Hello," Rose said cheerfully, "All unpacked already?"

"Yeah, I had nothing else to do," Emma said quietly.

"Oh, you could have hung out with Abby and I. We were with Albus and Scorpius by the lak. We were all too lazy to unpack…"

"That's okay," Emma said awkwardly, "I just wanted to get everything settled."

"You should come hang out with us sometime," Rose smiled, "I know we're all just 5th years, but you shouldn't feel too ashamed to be seen with us. Or is it because we're all gay?"

"It's not…I mean…" Emma said, staring at the floor.

"I was kidding, Em," Rose said, laughing slightly.

"Oh," was all Emma could think to say.

"Come on," Rose said, grinning, "Let's go play Exploding Snap with Scorpius and Abby. They're in the Common Room, insisting that they don't need to unpack yet. I think they're just lazy."

Before Emma had a chance to decline, Rose grabbed her wrist and pulled her down the stairs, not noticing Emma's wince at the contact. When they reached the Common Room, the first thing they heard was Abby swear loudly as the castle of cards she was building exploded.

"Abigail Phillips!" Rose scolded, sounding a lot like her mother.

"That hurt!" Abigail yelped.

"Well control your mouth anyway, there are first years in the room, you know."

Abigail looked around to see that her girlfriend was correct, and uttered a sheepish apology, grinning.

"Oh hello, Emma," Abigail said as Rose and Emma sat around the table that previously held Abigail's castle of cards.

"Hi," Emma said, glancing around the table.

"Fancy a game of Wizard's Chess?" Scorpius asked, "I was gonna play with Abby here, but she's not exactly tough competition."

"Hey!" Abigail said, offended, and slapped Scorpius in the back of the head.

"Sure, I'll play," Emma said.

Scorpius ran up to his room and brought down his game, and then set it up on the table. Emma reached out to set up her pieces, and the long sleeve of her shirt was pushed up slightly.

"Emma, what's that?" Abigail asked, reaching for Emma's wrist. Emma jerked away and pulled her sleeve back down to cover the hand-shaped bruise that was wrapped around her wrist. The mention of the bruise brought Emma back to two days earlier when her father had cornered her in the living room.

* * *

><p>"<em>Keep that bloody cat out of my room!" Aaron yelled, storming into the living room, Autumn in his arms. He threw the cat towards Emma, and Emma scrambled to comfort the scared looking cat. Autumn just hissed at Aaron and ran towards Emma's room.<em>

_In her rush to get to Autumn, Emma didn't have enough time to escape her father's grip, and Aaron grabbed her wrist and roughly pulled her to her feet. Emma winced as he tightened his grip. She strained to pull away, and in response Aaron shook her violently._

"_You better learn to control that cat!"_

"_She's just a cat!" Emma exclaimed, finding her voice for just a moment, "I can't make her not go in your room! Close your door if you don't want her in there!"  
>"Don't you speak to me that way!" Aaron yelled, his hand making contact with Emma's cheek. He released her arm, and she fell to the floor. Emma rubbed her cheek for a bit and then gently rubbed her wrist. She knew her face wouldn't bruise, but her wrist definitely would.<em>

* * *

><p>"Emma?" Abigail asked, looking worried, "Are you okay?"<p>

"I'm fine," Emma said, snapping back to the present, "Let's play."

Rose, Abigail, and Scorpius all looked at each other silently, but let the subject drop. Emma played Wizard's Chess with Scorpius, but was only half paying attention as she tried to get her mind off her father and the bruise on her wrist. If everyone was that worried over her wrist, Emma thought, how would they react to seeing the bruised that covered her arms, legs, shoulders and stomach?

**I have big plans for this story! So review and you shall receive updates!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Finally an update. It sucks being busy...**

Emma was on her way back to her dorm when Abigail came up behind her and grabbed her arm. Emma yelped and pulled away, both shocked and in pain. The two stood in the middle of the tunnel leading to the girls' dormitory for a moment before Abigail spoke.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Emma insisted.

"Why don't I believe that?" Abby asked sternly.

"I'm fine, Abby," Emma repeated.

"Emma, you know we all worry about you, right?" Abigail's voice was full of concern.

"Well there's no reason to," Emma snapped, turning around and walking further down the tunnel.

When she reached her room, she wasn't shocked that Abigail was right behind her. Emma sat on her bed, staring at one of the copper lamps that illuminated the room. Abigail sat next to her silently. Finally, the younger girl spoke.

"Emma, we all saw that bruise," Abigail said, "We let it drop because we know you're uncomfortable around a lot of people. Being in the middle of a crowded Common Room isn't the best place to talk about personal things. But now it's just me and you, and you know you can talk to me."

"There's nothing to talk about," Emma stated, not taking her eyes off the lamp's fire.

Abigail sighed. "It seems like no one knows what's going on with you. Except Fred, that is. And he won't tell any of us. I understand that, because you trust him, but I wish you'd trust the rest of us too. That bruise was obviously given to you by someone. Will you please tell me who did it?"

Emma didn't reply. The two girls sat in silence for a while, and even though Emma hoped Abigail would lose interest and leave, the younger girl was notoriously stubborn. Finally, Emma groaned and stood up.

"I'll be back later," she said, opening the round door and heading back down to the common room. When she reached the common room, Emma kept walking, straight past Rose and Scorpius.

"Emma, where are you going?" Scorpius asked, "It's past curfew, you'll get in trouble!"

Emma didn't reply, and left the common room. She stood in the Hogwarts basement for a few moments, breathing slowly in an attempt to clear her head. Finally she decided that she needed some fresh air and pulled her wand out of her pocket, casting a spell that would keep her un-noticed if she happened to pass anyone in the corridors.

Emma found her way to the 2nd floor, to the statue of Uric the Oddball. The statue was wearing a Jellyfish hat, matching the one the famous wizard once wore. Emma tapped her wand against one of the Jellyfish's tentacles and uttered a spell. In reply, the statue hopped to one side, revealing a secret passage.

Fred discovered this passage during his third year at Hogwarts, and Emma had learned about it soon after. Although Emma had never used it alone before, she'd often have to chase down Fred to keep him out of trouble. Not many people in Hogwarts knew about this passage, except Fred and his troublemaking friends, including James Potter.

The passage led to Hogsmeade, and Fred often used it to acquire Fire Whiskey from the local pubs. Emma followed the passage to the end, and came out behind the Hogs Head Inn. She walked through the almost-empty streets and found her way to the precipice overlooking the Shrieking Shack. She sat on one of the large rocks and rested her head on her knees.

For a long while, Emma just sat in silence, breathing quietly. She was enjoying the near-silence of Hogsmeade as most of the witches and wizards made their way back home or to the inn they were staying in. Soon, there was no one outside except Emma, and she finally began to relax.

The sound of footsteps on the pavement made Emma lift her head. She looked around and didn't see anyone, so assumed that the footsteps had been her imagination. After a minute, the silence changed from peaceful to unsettling, so Emma decided to go back to Hogwarts.

She was walking through the empty streets when she heard the sound of footsteps again. Emma sped up her walking as panic began to set in. When she made it back to the Hogs Head, she began to calm down a bit.

Just before she reached the secret passage, Emma felt herself be jerked to the side. Whoever had grabbed her had managed to grab one of her many bruises, and Emma breathed in sharply through her teeth.

She let out a whimper as her attacker pulled her further away from the passage back to Hogwarts. Emma struggled to get away but the more she moved the more her bruises hurt.

"Let me go!" Emma yelped, "Please!"

"You should learn to stay inside after dark," her attacker growled in her ear.

His voice was rough, and Emma almost thought she recognized it. It sounded so familiar, but before she had a chance to look up, the wizard brought a wand to her head and muttered a short spell. Emma slumped against him, unable to stand on her own anymore.

Her eyes darted around in panic, hoping someone would see her and help. No one was left outside, though, so she knew it was pointless. She was helpless.

'Just kill me,' she found herself thinking, 'I don't want to feel any more pain.'

The wizard pulled Emma roughly by the arms, and each movement caused her more and more pain. Silent tears streamed down her face, and she wished he would at least knock her unconscious.

She soon found herself on the ground. She was under complete control of her attacker. Unable to do anything else, Emma just closed her eyes tightly and tried to ignore what she knew was coming.

The wizard grabbed her shirt, unbuttoning it roughtly, breaking off the top few buttons in the process, exposing Emma's bra. He then grabbed her skirt and pulled it to her ankles, and Emma whimpered helplessly, but refused to open her eyes.

Emma did her best to think of anything else but her attacker. In her attempt to think of happier things, images of Fred came to her mind. She thought about his playful antics, his knack for trouble making, and how determined he became when it came to playing Quidditch. She thought about all the times they studied together in the library, as she tried her best to help him raise his grades. He was smart, and she knew it, but his mind was often focused on other things.

Emma bit her lip and tried to ignore the pain her attacker was causing. Each movement he made caused her to wince, but she did her best to not give him the satisfaction of knowing how much pain she was in. Tears slid down the side of her face and pooled in the dirt beneath her.

She heard the wizard laugh as he wiped a tear from her face gently. Moments later, he brought his palm to her cheek and slapped her, causing more tears to flow.

After what seemed like ages, during which Emma had become totally numb, the wizard stopped and stood up. Emma opened her eyes and looked up at him.

Through her tears and the darkness around them, Emma could only make out a few of her attacker's features. He was tall with light skin, but Emma couldn't tell what color his hair was. She knew trying to identify him would be pointless. His voice had sounded so familiar, but Emma couldn't figure out where she'd heard it before.

He sneered down at her and then walked away, leaving Emma to cry, half naked, on the ground until his spell wore off and she could finally move. She sat up slowly; re-buttoning her shirt and pulling her uniform skirt back up. The top two buttons had been ripped clean off, so it was difficult to keep the top of her shirt closed.

After a few moments of being unable to move due to shock and pain, Emma stood up and walked unsteadily towards to secret passage way. When she made it into the tunnel, she held her shirt closed with one hand, and held onto the wall with the other, using it to steady herself as she inched her way back to Hogwarts.

When she finally reached the common room, it was mercifully empty. After making her way through the tunnel to the girls' dormitory, Emma was grateful to find Abigail and Rose sleeping soundly.

Emma slowly pulled off her clothes and donned her nightgown. She collapsed onto her bed and buried her face in a pillow, struggling to keep her sobs quiet so Abigail and Rose wouldn't wake up.

After a long time, Emma finally found that she couldn't cry anymore. All her tears had dried up, and so she slowly drifted into an unsettling sleep filled with dark figures and empty alley ways.

**Review for updates! Thanks to those who did review, but ****2 reviews just isn't enough to make me want to post more...I have plans for this story, so please review.  
>Also, yes I did invent that secret passage way. And I'm quite proud of it, so please don't use it in your fanfiction.<br>**


	3. Chapter 3

**Finally an update! And on Leap Year, too! :P Please review! 2 per chapter just isn't enough. For the love of Fred, please review! :P**

"Emma? Emma wake up," Rose said, shaking the older Hufflepuff gently.

At the slightest touch from the younger girl, Emma quickly woke up and jumped away from her, holding the blanket up to her chin. She looked around in fright. When she noticed Rose standing there, eyebrows raised, she sighed in relief and let go of the blanket.

"C'mon, then. It's time for breakfast. Also, Abby and I were thinking. Since classes don't start til next week, we're going to get the entire family to play Quidditch out on the pitch. You should join us."

"But…I'm not family," Emma said quietly.

"Don't be ridiculous," Abby laughed, "Neither am I and I'm still going. It's for family friends, too."

"Right, so will you come?"

"Oh…yeah, sure," Emma said, wishing she could just be alone. She was uncomfortable enough around a lot of people under normal circumstances; after last night she just wanted to be alone forever.

"Right, then, get dressed," Rose said happily, "I'm hungry."

"You two can go ahead, I'll catch up," Emma said.

"Okay, see you there," Rose said, and then left the room.

Abby stared at Emma for a moment. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Emma asked.

"You were pretty upset last night when you left…" Abby said, "Are we good?"

Emma sighed. "I'm sorry…about last night."

"Me too," Abby smiled. She looked down for a moment and frowned.

Abby leaned down to the floor and picked up the shirt Emma had been wearing last night.

"Why is this ripped?" she asked, and Emma groaned internally.

"I…I tripped on my way back here. It got caught on something and ripped."

Abby frowned at the shirt for a few seconds before shrugging it off and dropping it on Emma's bed. "See you at breakfast," she said, following after her girlfriend.

Once Abby was gone, Emma quickly grabbed the shirt and threw it with all her strength against the wall. It fell to the floor, landing behind her dresser. Memories from the night before flooded back to Emma with such force that she began to cry again.

'I have to tell someone,' she thought to herself, 'But who? I can't tell Fred….Oh Merlin, what if I'm pregnant? I can't handle this.'

She began to panic, breathing heavily. Finally, she was able to bring her breathing back to normal and pull herself together enough to get up and get dressed. She made her way to the Great Hall slowly, putting off contact with others for as long as possible. Whenever she passed someone in the corridors, Emma shrunk towards the walls, not wanting anyone to accidentally touch her.

When she finally made it to the Great Hall, she started walking towards the Hufflepuff table but was cut off by Fred.

"Hey," he said happily, "I've been waiting for you for ages. Did Rose and Abby tell you about the Quidditch game later?"

"Yeah," Emma said, trying to sound as enthusiastic as possible.

"I can't wait," Fred smiled happily, not noticing that Emma was upset.

"Me either," Emma said. This time her smile was almost genuine. Seeing Fred so happy made her smile. After a few moments, though, she couldn't help but break eye contact with him and look at the floor. This time Fred noticed.

"Are you okay?" he asked, "I thought you'd be happy now that we're back."

"It's nothing," Emma said, but was unable to make it sound convincing.

"Scorpius told me that they saw one of your bruises last night…"

"Did you tell him?" Emma asked, looking up at him desperately.

"Of course not," Fred said, "I promised you I'd never tell anyone. I'm not going to break that. It's up to you who you tell…although I wish you'd tell my family. We could help you, you know."

"You're all I need, Freddie," Emma blurted, and then looked away, trying to hide her blush. "You know what I meant…"

"Yeah," Fred said, his face also turning pink.

"I'm fine," Emma insisted.

"You're lying," Fred stated, "But I'm not going to force you to talk to me if you don't want to…"

"It's not that," Emma said sadly, "I just…I can't…"

"You know I'm always here for you," Fred said, smiling slightly. He gave her a gentle hug, careful not to hurt her bruises. This was how he always handled her when they made psychical contact. When he released her, Fred walked back to the Gryffindor table.

Emma sighed sadly and started walking towards the Hufflepuff table again. Halfway there, she made a split decision and swerved towards the Ravenclaw table. She found Roxanne and tapped her shoulder.

Roxanne turned around and looked up at Emma inquisitively.

"Can I talk to you?" she asked quietly.

Roxanne was visibly shocked that Emma had sought her out, but stood up nonetheless and followed Emma out of the Great Hall.

"Where can we talk alone?" Emma asked bluntly.

"My dorm room is empty if you don't mind walking all the way to Ravenclaw Tower," Roxanne said after a moment.

They walked in silence. When they finally reached Roxanne's room, Emma sat on Roxanne's bed and stared at the floor for a long time. Roxanne waited patiently, knowing that whatever Emma had to say must have been important. Emma almost never spoke to anyone unless they spoke first. Fred was the only exception to that.

"I can't tell Fred," Emma said finally, not taking her eyes off the floor.

"Can't tell him what?" Roxanne asked, sitting next to Emma on the bed.

"You can't tell anyone either," Emma stated, looking up and meeting Roxanne's gaze. "Please promise me."

"I can't make that promise until I know what it is," Roxanne said logically.

"Then I can't tell you," Emma said, "Sorry I wasted your time."

She started to stand up, but Roxanne grabbed her shoulder to prevent her from leaving.

"Fine, I promise," the Ravenclaw sighed, "What's wrong?"

"I…I…" Emma said, unable to continue. Once again, tears began streaming from her eyes. She bit her lip hard and felt a small pearl of blood form in her mouth.

"It's okay," Roxanne said soothingly, pulling Emma closer to her gently, "You can tell me. Emma, what's wrong?"

"Last night…" Emma said before choking on her words. She gasped and tried to catch her breath as the tears poured out more forcefully. "Last night…Abby was…asking questions…" The tears made it hard to talk, but Emma forced the words to come out before she could change her mind. "She wanted to know…where I got my bruises…" For a short moment, Emma wondered if Roxanne knew. Although Fred had promised that he wouldn't tell anyone, Emma wasn't sure if his own twin counted.

"Fred never told me," Roxanne said as if she knew what Emma was thinking, "But…I can take a guess. Does your father hit you, Emma?"

Emma stared at the rug and nodded slowly. "How- how did you know?"

"Fred's my twin. I can tell when he's upset. He told me that you live with your father, but that's it. But I could tell that it upset him, and seeing your bruises…it's not hard to put two and two together."

"Fair enough," Emma said, feeling sort of relieved that she didn't have to explain that part to Roxanne. Her tears weren't as bad now and she was finally able to speak normally, if not very quietly. "Abby was asking questions and I got mad…so I left Hogwarts."

"What?" Roxanne asked, "Emma, you could have gotten in serious trouble. Where did you go?"

"Hogsmeade," Emma said, "I used a secret tunnel Fred found years ago…"

"What happened?"

"It was so dark out…and quiet…I thought I was alone. But while I was on my way back…a man…he-he attacked me."

Roxanne's grip on Emma tightened as she gasped in horror. Emma flinched and Roxanne immediately loosened her grip.

"Emma, he didn't…" Roxanne said, too horrified to say the words.

"He raped me," Emma whispered. One last tear dripped down her cheek.

"You have to tell someone!" Roxanne exclaimed.

"No!" Emma yelled out, surprising both Roxanne and herself. "Roxanne you promised. Tell no one. Not even Fred. Especially not Fred…"

"You can't keep this a secret, Emma," Roxanne said.

"It's not a secret…you know," Emma replied quietly.

"You know what I mean," Roxanne scolded, "At least go to Madam Pomfrey. She can't tell anyone if you ask her not to, and she can tell you if he really hurt you. Or if you're….pregnant."

"Magic can do that even after just one day?" Emma asked. Being a Muggle-born, she still didn't know everything about the Wizarding World, and she'd never thought about pregnancy before.

Roxanne nodded. "Wizarding pregnancy tests are far more advanced that Muggle stuff. Magic can tell you right away."

"Okay, I'll tell Madam Pomfrey. But no one else. Remember, you promised."

Roxanne sighed, wishing she hadn't. "I know."

**yeah, it's kinda short and boring, but review anyway? It will get better, I promise.**


	4. Chapter 4

**I hate myself for being so busy, and for having writers block so much lately. Anyway, here's an update. Read, enjoy, and review! **

Emma let out the breath she'd been holding when Madam Pomfrey assured her that she wasn't pregnant.

"Do you want to talk about what happened, dear?" Madam Pomfrey asked, looking worried for the Hufflepuff.

Emma just shook her head and Roxanne returned Madam Pomfrey's worried look.

"You won't tell anyone, right?" Emma asked, staring past Madam Pomfrey and Roxanne at the window.

"I can't if you don't want me to," Madam Pomfrey sighed.

"Good," Emma said, "I'm going to go eat…See you at the Quidditch game, Roxanne…"

She stood up and exited the hospital wing quickly. Roxanne stared after her, wishing desperately that there was something she could do to help Emma.

"She's not hurt physically," Madam Pomfrey said, "But mentally…she's going to have some scars."

"I know," Roxanne sighed, "I'll try to help her, but…I don't know if she'll feel better any time soon….Keeping this from Fred is going to be hard…" By now Roxanne was talking to herself more than to Madam Pomfrey. "I don't feel right keeping this a secret and Fred can tell when I'm upset…"

Roxanne said a polite goodbye to the older woman and left the Hospital Wing.

A short while later, everyone began arriving on the Quidditch Pitch. James and Fred were there first; then Molly arrived with Louis and his boyfriend, Austin Macmillan. Next, Scorpius, Albus, Rose, and Abby showed up in a group. Lily and Lucy arrived with Lorcan and Lysander. Roxanne and Emma arrived soon after, and minutes later Hugo came trailing behind everyone else.

"Great, we're all here," Fred stated, "So let's get into our usual teams, then."

Fred and James, being the separate "Team Captains," split up and the teams joined around them. Roxanne, Scorpius, Albus, Lysander, Lily, and Emma went over to Fred's side. Molly, Louis, Lorcan, Lucy, Rose, and Abby joined James. Austin and Hugo went to sit in the stands to be score keepers, since neither of them really fancied flying.

Roxanne pulled Emma to the side. "You okay?" she asked, and Emma shot her a look.

"I'm fine," she said, although she was clearly lying. "Forget about it."  
>"I can't just forget," Roxanne said, "What happened…it would hurt anyone. You shouldn't keep trying to pull through alone. If you just told-."<p>

"Forget it," Emma repeated, more forcefully.

Before Roxanne could reply, Fred walked over.

"Are you two coming?" he asked, eyebrows raised. The two girls nodded and followed him back to where everyone else was waiting.

"Okay, time to start the game," Fred said, kicking his broom into the air.

From the stands, Austin threw the Quaffle onto the field and Hugo released the snitch. They never played with Bludgers, and instead of two beaters and three chasers, each of their teams had five chasers.

Emma, being Keeper, kicked off the ground and flew towards the goal. She floated in place in front of the center goal, ready to block and attempts by the other team to score. After a few minutes, she began to get distracted.

It was hard to come to terms with what had happened. The day had gone by so slowly that the night before seemed like ages ago. It seemed impossible that she'd only been back at Hogwarts for 2 days.

Thinking about the night before brought tears to Emma's eyes again, and she quickly wiped them away. The last thing she needed was everyone asking questions.

"Emma!" Fred yelled, snapping her back to the present. She realized why he had yelled when she noticed the Quaffle zoom straight by her, into the center goal. "You could have blocked that!"

"Sorry," Emma muttered, though she was sure he didn't hear her.

She tried her best to focus on the game, but kept getting distracted by thoughts of the night before. It was almost as if she could still feel her attacker's touch. She winced slightly, remembering how he'd felt pressed up against her. The worst part had been that it was her first time having sex with anyone. She'd always imagined her first time being special, and with someone she loved. A small part of her mind went to Fred, and she felt herself turn pink.

"Emma!" Fred yelled out again as yet another goal was scored by the other team. Emma had been so distracted that she didn't even see the Quaffle coming. Fred flew towards Emma and came to an abrupt halt before her. "Will you pay attention?" Fred yelled, looking angry.

She wasn't sure why, but Emma replied with equal anger. "Sorry!" she yelled, "It's just a game!"

"And the object of the game is to _try and win_," Fred hissed, "Not let the other team throw the ball right past you!"

Emma opened her mouth to reply, but no words came out and she scowled. She flew swiftly towards the ground and got off her broom when she reached the grass.

"Where are you going?" Fred yelled.

"None of your business!" Emma yelled back, so loud that everyone heard. Everyone stopped their brooms and stared down at the normally quiet Hufflepuff in shock. Emma ignored everyone's stares as best she could and storms off the Pitch.

"What's the matter with you?" she heard Roxanne yelling, "She's obviously upset about something, and you go and yell at her! You're so thick, Fred!"

Roxanne landed her broom and chased after Emma, but she held up her hand in motion for her to stop.

"I just want to be alone," she said, and walked away.

A few minutes later, Emma was sitting on the floor in an empty corridor, leaning against the wall. She had her knees pulled up to her chest and her head resting on her knees. Tears were streaming from her eyes, staining her jeans. She struggled to keep he sobs quiet, but with little success.

No one had followed her from the Pitch, and she preferred it that way. Normally, Fred was the only person she could talk to, but she just couldn't bring herself to tell him about being raped. She felt dirty, and didn't want Fred to see her in that way.

"He'll never want me if he knows…" she whispered quietly to herself, though somewhere deep in her mind she knew it made no sense. If Fred was going to like her, he wouldn't care that she'd been raped. He'd know it wasn't her fault, and he'd support her and make her feel better. But even with all that rationalization, she still couldn't tell him.

She let out a particularly loud sob, and hiccupped. Emma pulled a small pocket knife from her pocket and flipped it over in her hand a few times, staring at it intensely.

When she'd been in her 4th year, her father's abuse became too much for her to handle. She'd dealt with the pain by cutting, figuring that if she had to feel pain she might as well cause it herself. Fred had been furious when he'd found out. He yelled at her and made her promise to never do it again. She'd promised, and after that he paid so close attention to her that she wouldn't have been able to even if she'd wanted to. However, having him around constantly had made her feel better, so even when they had to part for the summer, she didn't cut.

It had been over 3 years since Emma had used the pocket knife, but she always kept it with her as a reminder. Now, for the first time since Fred had made her promise to never cut again, she had the sudden urge to use the knife. Disgusted with herself, Emma hurled the knife down the corridor, and it clattered to a stop at the end.

Just then, someone walked around the corner, noticed the pocket knife, and picked it up. The boy stared at it for a moment before looking around and noticing Emma.

"Is this yours?" he asked, walking up to her. Emma wiped her eyes and quickly stood up. She nodded silently and snatched the knife back from the boy, placing it in her pocket again.

"I'm Stephen Chandler," the boy said, extending his hand. When Emma didn't take it, he awkwardly let it fall back to his side. "Err...you weren't planning on using that knife….were you?" he asked, guessing the reason Emma had it with her.

Emma didn't reply and just stared at the floor.

"A pretty girl like you shouldn't hurt herself like that," he said, offering her a smile.

Emma felt the corners of her mouth tug up into a smile, and she stared up at him.

He was taller than her, with short brownish-blonde hair. He wore Slytherin robes over his fit body.

"I'm Emma," she said, holding out her own hand, "Emma Clark."

Stephen shook her hand and laughed a bit.

"Thanks," Emma said suddenly, and then blushed slightly.

"For what?" Stephen asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Making me smile," Emma admitted, "I needed it…"

Stephen smiled back at her. "No problem," he said, "You have a beautiful smile."

Emma turned an even deeper shade of red and looked away.

"I'm serious," he said. "You're very pretty."

"Thank you," Emma muttered, staring at the floor again.

"Would it be too forward of me to ask you out, then?" Stephen asked suddenly, and Emma looked up at him in shock.

She found herself thinking about how sweet he was being, and how cute he looked. Then she thought about how cute Fred looked, but how much of a jerk he had been over a game. Anger welled up inside her again, and she smiled at Stephen.

"I'd love to," she said, and he smiled brightly down at her.

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	5. Chapter 5

"You're what?" Fred choked on the bite of his food he'd just taken, sputtering for a few moments before regaining control of himself. He stared at Emma in bewilderment.

"I'm going on a date," Emma repeated. She couldn't stop the smug feeling that rose inside her as Fred looked slightly hurt by her statement.

"With who?" Fred asked, managing to keep his voice quiet instead of yelling like he'd wanted to.

"Stephen Chandler," Emma said, glancing at the Slytherin who sat further down the table.

Fred followed Emma's gaze and glared at the other boy.

"That git?" he asked, "Emma, you don't know what he's like."

"And you do, I suppose?" Emma rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I do. He puts on a sweet act for girls, but in the Slytherin common room he shows his true colors. He's constantly bragging about all the girls he's shagged. That's all he's after, Em."

"Just because you're jealous doesn't mean you have to make stuff up, Fred," Emma snarled, glowing down at him as she stood up from the Slytherin table.

"Jealous?" Fred began sputtering again, "You're crazy, Emma."

Emma scowled at the red-head and stormed away. She went back to the Hufflepuff table and sat between Scorpius and Rose and groaned.

"Something wrong?" Abigail asked from the other side of Rose, her eyebrows raised.

"Fred is a moron," Emma stated as an explanation.

"Well we all knew that," Rose chuckled a bit, "What did he do?"

"I told him I have a date with Stephen Chandler," Emma began. Before she could continue, Abigail cut in.

"Stephen? Emma, please tell me you're joking."

"No, I'm not," Emma said, staring at Abigail.

"What did Fred say about him?" Rose asked.

"He said all he's after is a good shag, but I know it's a lie," Emma said.

"It's not a lie," Abby said, her eyes dark. "I- I want out with him once."

"What?" Rose exclaimed, turning to face her girlfriend. "Why don't I know about this?"

Abby shot her a guilty look. "It was before we met. I was still trying to figure myself out, whether I liked girls or blokes. He asked me out, and I said yes. But all he wanted to do was take me to his bedroom."

"What did you do?" Scorpius asked.

"Kicked him where it hurts, of course," Abigail replied, her eyes sparkling.

"I don't believe you!" Emma said, standing up.

"Emma, It's true," Abby said.

"He's actually helping me!" Emma yelled out, "He made me smile yesterday, when I really needed it. He makes me happy. Why can none of you realize that? Some friends you are." She walked away from the Hufflepuff table before anyone had time to do anything more than gape at her.

When she exited the Great Hall, she leaned against the wall and sighed. She refused to believe that Stephen could be as bad as everyone was saying. The way he'd smiled at her….it made her happy.

_No_, she thought to herself, _not happy….Fred's smile makes me happy…Stephen makes me…_

She couldn't find the proper word. _Content_ flashed through her mind, but she quickly shook the thought away. All she wanted was to be happy, and lately Fred wasn't helping much. Deep down she knew it was her own fault for keeping what had happened from him. Still, the thought of him yelling at her over Quidditch made her flush with anger. Usually, Fred was good at seeing when she was upset. Now, he just seemed oblivious to the fact that she felt like crying almost all the time.

A few moments later, the doors to the Great Hall opened. Emma looked at the doors and smiled when Stephen walked through them. He walked over to her and tilted his head to the side.

"Is something wrong? I saw you leave your friends…"

"I'm fine…" Emma said, "I just needed to get out of there…they're not too happy about my date with you…"

"Well then ignore them," Stephen said, taking a step towards her. He put a hand on her cheek and smiled gently. "If you're happy, that's all that matters, right?"

"Right," Emma smiled back up at him.

"Let's get out of here," Stephen said suddenly, and Emma's brows knit together in confusion. "The Lake is a great place to be alone," he said as an explanation.

Emma followed him as he grabbed her hand and lead her away from the Great Hall.

* * *

><p>Stephen and Emma sat together by the Great Lake, barefoot. They sat together in silence as the water swept gently over their feet. Emma leaned against him and he had an arm around her shoulder.<p>

"Can I tell you something?" Stephen asked suddenly.

"What?" Emma replied.

"I'm surprised you said yes when I asked you out."

"Why's that?" Emma asked, looking up at him.

"Well…it's no secret that you and Fred are so close," Stephen said, "The whole school knows about you two."

"It's not like we're dating," Emma said, a blush creeping up her neck.

"I know, but I always thought you wanted to date him."

Emma didn't reply. She'd had no idea that the whole school paid such close attention to the pair of friends. She supposed it wasn't such a shock. The Potter/Weasley family was so big, they were hard to ignore.

"I've wanted to ask you out for a long time," Stephen said quietly, "But I could never work up the courage."

"You've never even talked to me before," Emma said, pulling away from him slightly to get a better look at his face.

"But I've noticed you…" Stephen said, looking embarrassed. "I've wanted to talk to you since 5th year. I'd seen you around before then, but…I don't know. You just seemed…different from other girls here."

Emma listened to his words and smiled.

"I'm glad you finally found your courage, then," she said, blushing.

"So am I," Stephen said, also turning slightly red.

Before Emma realized what he was doing, he placed a kiss on her lips. She jumped slightly in shock at first, but then kissed him back gently. She closed her eyes as he pulled her closer.

During their kiss, images of Fred flashed through Emma's mind. She wondered briefly if this would be how it felt to kiss him. Stephen's kiss was hesitant at first, but when Emma didn't pull away, he deepened it and they fell back on the grass.

After a few moments, Emma pulled away, feeling guilty for thinking of Fred while kissing Stephen. The Slytherin in front of her smiled at her, beaming. She smiled back shyly, ignoring her thoughts.

What Emma didn't see was Fred standing a little way away from the lake. He'd left the Great Hall soon after Emma, intending to apologize for his behavior. When he saw Stephen walking with the Hufflepuff girl, he couldn't stop himself from watching. Jealousy burned in the pit of his stomach when he saw the pair kissing.

Biting his lip, Fred turned back to Hogwarts castle, wishing he hadn't followed. Underneath all his jealousy, he felt like crying. He hoped more than anything that Emma wouldn't be hurt by Stephen, but knew that she probably wouldn't be that lucky. Fred just hoped that he'd be able to pick up the pieces he knew Stephen would leave behind.

**Reviews are much appreciated! I hope to update again soon! Thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

Fred was sitting in the library, his head resting on his Potions book, snoring softly when Roxanne slid into the chair next to him. She stared at her twin for a few moments with her eyebrows raised before reaching out and shaking his shoulder. The boy jumped up quickly and let out a startled yelp.

"Bloody Hell, Roxie!" Fred yelled, earning a glare from the librarian, "Don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry," Roxanne said, but was barely holding in a laugh, "I was shocked, is all. I don't think, in the seven years we've been at Hogwarts, I've ever seen you in the library…."

"I was studying, what's strange about that?" Fred asked defensively, but then sighed and sat back down. "Okay, poor excuse, I know."

"So what's the matter?" Roxanne asked, already knowing the answer. Over the last two days the whole school had noticed Emma spending every waking moment with Stephen. The couple was the talk of the school.

_"She's so quiet, how did she manage to get _Stephen Chandler_?"_

_ "I can't believe she's dating that jerk…"_

_ "I'm so jealous of her."_

Roxanne shook her head at some of the girls' reactions.  
>"I'm worried about Emma…what am I going to do?" Fred asked.<p>

"There's not much you can do," Roxanne sighed, "I'm worried about her, too, but when I tried talking to her she stormed off yelling about how 'no one seems to want her to be happy.' She's being really thick, honestly..."

Fred sighed miserably and let his head drop back into his arms.

* * *

><p>Emma lay snuggled under Stephen's arm, her head resting on his chest. The two were in the Slytherin common room watching a pair of 4th years trying to enchant a toy mouse into moving on its own. Emma vaguely registered the two talking about using the mouse to distract Mrs. Norris while they snuck into a forbidden corridor to find out just why it was forbidden. She wasn't paying much attention, though, and was instead thinking about Fred.<p>

Deep down, she knew she ought to come clean and tell him about being attacked in Hogsmeade, but something stopped her from doing so. She just couldn't bear the thought of him knowing. Instead, every time she saw him she quickly turned and walked the other way. Although she knew the solution wouldn't last for long. Every day Fred tried to corner her somewhere. Not because he suspected that Emma had been raped, but to try and convince her to dump Stephen. The anger she felt towards him was enough to remove any thoughts of telling him the truth.

"Emma?" she suddenly heard Stephen asking. She looked up at him with a blank face and he just laughed.

"You're so lost in thought," he said, smirking in a way that wasn't unkind, "It's cute."

Emma smiled back at him. She stretched up and kissed him on the lips. He kissed back for a moment and then pulled away.

"Wouldn't it be better to kiss somewhere less…public?" he asked.

Emma let him drag her out of the common room and into an empty corridor. Before she had a chance to say anything, his lips were on hers and she threw her arms around his shoulders. He gently leaned in towards her until she was pressed up against the wall, his hands on the wall on either side of her, locking her in his grip. For a brief moment, panic engulfed Emma as she recalled being trapped under her attacker and she pushed Stephen away roughly.

"What is it?" he asked, looking offended.

"I'm sorry," Emma said, catching her breath. "I- I don't know why I did that."

Stephen stared at her for another moment as if he were trying to figure something out. She stared at the floor uncomfortably. When he moved in for another kiss, she didn't push him away.

* * *

><p>"He's going to hurt you!" Fred yelled, chasing after Emma the next day. "Please listen to me!"<p>

"Shove off, Weasley," Emma snarled, storming away.

Fred grabbed her arm and she yelped in pain. He let go of her quickly.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice full of regret, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Emma said, rubbing her arm, "Now please leave me alone. I have a date."

"A date?" Fred asked.

"Yes, Fred. A date. With my _boyfriend._ Just drop it."

Without another word, Emma left Fred alone in the corridor.

* * *

><p>An hour later, Emma once again found herself pressed up against the wall, her lips on Stephen's. Although the panicked feeling was welling up inside her, she pushed the feelings away and let Stephen trap her between himself and the wall. She rationalized that he was not trying to hurt her, like her attacker did. He was just trying to snog his girlfriend, and she obliged.<p>

His hand traveled to her stomach and she squirmed under his touch. His fingertips trailed at the top of her jeans, causing a shiver to run down her spine. She pushed him away gently and looked up at his face.

"Aren't we going kind of fast?" she asked.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, "I just…I've liked you for so long so I feel like we've been together longer than we have…"

She smiled at him. He moved in to kiss her again, but she stepped out of his path.

"Wh-why don't we go eat now?" The date they'd planned to go on was a picnic by the lake, but when Stephen showed up at the Hufflepuff common room to pick her up, they'd somehow ended up in an abandoned corridor, snogging.

Stephen picked up the basket from the floor. "You're right, plenty of time for more later," he said mischievously. He grabbed Emma's hand and the two of them walked to the Lake together.

When they reached their destination, Stephen set up their picnic and the pair sat down to eat. After a few moments Emma couldn't help but turn her attention to the Lake as she became lost in thought once again. In the silence of their eating, Emma could almost imagine it was Fred beside her and not Stephen. Guilt quickly flooded though her as she waved the thoughts away.

Soon, Stephen was kissing her again and she let him. They laid on their sides until Stephen rolled her on top of him. Emma kept kissing him until it became too much and she pulled away. She rested her head on his chest and listened to his heart beating while he traced random patterns on her back with his fingertips. Whenever his hands strayed too far down her back, Emma shivered. She wasn't sure if it was from fear or pleasure.

**Reviews! :D I promise to try and update again soon.  
><strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**This is the final (and longest) chapter.**

When Emma and Stephen decided to leave the Lake, Emma walked with Stephen to the Slytherin Common Room. They sat on one of the couches for a while, Emma leaning against Stephen, his arms wrapped around her. Soon, Albus entered the Common Room and stared at Stephen in disgust.

"Emma, can we talk?" Albus asked. Emma stood up and followed Albus away from the couch. Stephen remained where he was, but eyed the pair closely.

"What is it, Al?" Emma asked.

"Emma…don't you realize the way he treats you?"

"Not you, too," Emma groaned, "Look, I'll tell you what I told the others. Stephen makes me happy. Get over it."

"He's treating you like an object! Every time I see you two together you're either snogging or he's holding you possessively. He only wants one thing, Em."

Emma opened her mouth to reply, and then shut it again. Rage was building up inside her, blocking the words in her throat. She spun on her heel and stormed away from Albus, back to where Stephen was waiting on the couch.

"Let's go," she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him off the couch.

"Where are we going?" he asked, allowing himself to be tugged along.

"Your dorm. I want to be alone," Emma said, biting her lip.

When they reached Stephen's room, they were alone. His roommates were out. Emma sat on his bed and rested her elbows on her knees, her head in her hands. She sighed heavily as Stephen sat next to her.

"What's wrong, love?" he asked gently, placing a hand on the small of her back.

For a minute Emma didn't reply. Then she sighed again.

"I don't know what to do," she said, and then the words came pouring out. "Ever since I got back at Hogwarts, I've been trying to stay happy. But it's so hard. Being with you makes me happy. You made me smile when I was the most upset. But it upsets my friends and I don't want that. I just want everything to be okay."

Stephen used his free hand to wipe away the tears from Emma's cheek. She hadn't even realized she was crying, but now she found it hard to stop. After a few moments she managed to pull herself together just enough to stop the tears.

"I make you happy, right?" Stephen asked.

Emma hesitated for a fraction of a second before saying "Yes." Stephen didn't notice.

"Then what does it matter what others think? Maybe you've been so upset because you're always trying to please others. You need to focus on what makes _you_ happy."

Emma felt herself smile. Stephen put a finger under her chin and lifted her face to meet his. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, pulling her in closer. They leaned back on his bed, so she was lying on top of him, and he wrapped his arms around her, locking her in place. They only pulled apart when they both needed air.

"I really like you, Emma," Stephen said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I- I really like you, too," Emma replied.

"And you said I make you happy. You make me happy, too." Stephen looked away from Emma, looking embarrassed.

"What is it?" Emma asked.

Stephen sat up, moving her off of him, so that they were sitting side by side again. "Well…I-I know we've only been dating for a little while…but…I feel so connected to you." A few moments passed before he continued. "You make me happy," he repeated.

He turned towards her, leaning in to kiss her again. But this time he gently pushed her down so he was lying on top of her. Emma kissed him back, but felt panic rise in her chest once more. The memory of being trapped under someone, forced to do their will, flooded through her mind and she fought the urge to push Stephen away as she had in the corridor they day before.

Stephen's hands wandered to the bottom of Emma's shirt and he pushed it up slightly, caressing her stomach. She squirmed at his touch and he stopped kissing her.

"Is something wrong?" he asked innocently.

"N-no," Emma said, trying to keep calm.

Stephen's lips found hers once again and his hands slid up her body, brushing against the underside of her bra.

"Your skin is so soft," he murmured against her lips. Emma could hear the blood rushing through her veins, pounding in her ears. Fear overcame her when Stephen's hands found their way underneath her bra. She shoved him away roughly and he sailed off the bed, crashing to the floor.

"What the Hell?" He screamed, standing up, "What's the matter with you? That bloody hurt!"

"Don't touch me!" Emma yelled out, finding her voice.

"Emma, I'm not going to hurt you," Stephen said, his voice calm once more. "I just want to show you how happy to make me. I want to show you how close to you I feel. He reached out to touch her again. His hand caressed her thigh, and slid a little way up her skirt. She let out a whimper and backed up, pressing herself against the headboard.

Before she could protest, Stephen was on the bed, on his hands and knees, over top of her. He pressed his lips to hers, forcefully this time. His hand grabbed the hem of her skirt and he tugged roughly. Her skirt slid down to her knees and he pressed himself against her. Emma closed her eyes tightly.

In her ear, he whispered, "You should learn to stay inside after dark."

Emma gasped loudly as memories of the night in Hogsmeade entered her mind.

_"Let me go!" Emma yelped, "Please!"_

_"You should learn to stay inside after dark," her attacker growled in her ear._

She stared up at Stephen, realization flooding her features. He smirked at her.

"That night in Hogsmeade…" he whispered, a delighted expression on his face, "it was just too perfect to pass up. A helpless young girl wandering alone in the dark…Imagine my surprise when I saw that it was you. The very girl I'd had a crush on since 3rd year. The very girl who _ignored every word I ever said to her_."

"I- I don't remember you ever talking to me before," Emma said, struggling to keep her breath under control.

"Of course you wouldn't. Every time I tried to introduce myself, you ignored me. You never even _responded!_"

"I'm sorry!" Emma yelled out, "I just- my life is complicated! I don't like being around people much! It has nothing to do with you!"

"You sure don't mind the Potters and the Weasleys, or any of their misfit friends," Stephen snarled.

"I've been friends with them forever," Emma whimpered, "They're the only ones I can talk to. You don't understand, it's my dad. He hits me, and it makes it difficult for me to trust people. You don't have to do this, I-!"

His lips crashed down onto hers. He kissed her mouth, then her cheek, and then her neck. He moved down to her collarbone, and Emma shrieked in terror. She brought her knee up roughly, hitting him square between the legs. He pulled away in pain and Emma jumped out of the bed, pulled her skirt up and made for the doorway.

Just before her hand touched the doorknob, she felt a hand grab her pony-tail, roughly dragging her backwards.

"It's not even like I _planned_ to do what I did," he yelled, "It was just so damn easy. You were stupid to go outside, alone, in the dark. You make yourself a target. It's your own fault."

"No!" Emma screamed, wishing she had her wand. She went to knee him again, but he blocked her. He threw her back onto the bed. She scrambled backwards quickly. She reached the other side of the bed quicker than she thought, and fell off the side, hitting her head on the floor so hard that she began to see stars floating across her vision.

Stephen reached out to drag her up again, but she screamed so loud that it startled him for just a moment. She got up and stumbled as quickly as she could towards the door. He reached her first, again, but this time she swung her hand towards his face. Her nails dug into his cheek, drawing blood. He covered his cheek and let out a yell.

Emma opened the door and fled. She ran as fast as she could back to the Slytherin Common Room. When she got there, she crashed into someone and they both tumbled to the floor. Not caring who it was, Emma clung to the other person in terror.

"Please, keep him away from me! Don't let him hurt me, not again! Please, not again!" She yelled over and over, tears streaming from her eyes, her voice shrill with fear.

The other person was saying something, but Emma's ears were ringing from how hard her head had hit the floor. She looked up at them, and through her tears and the stars that were still floating around, she recognized Fred's fiery hair.

He was hugging her tightly, still talking. She could make out a few words. "Albus" was one of them, and then Emma found herself being dragged away by, she assumed, Albus. Before they made it very far, though, blackness seemed to engulf Emma and she heard and saw no more.

* * *

><p>When Emma woke up she darted straight up, looking around in panic. When she realized that she was in the hospital wing, her breathing slowed slightly. Before she even realized Fred was there, he had his arms around her, rocking her back and forth.<p>

"Thank goodness you're awake!" he said, his voice filled with relief, "I've been so worried."

When he pulled away from her, Emma saw that he had tears in his eyes. He wiped his eyes, but more tears came so he gave up. He smiled at her sadly, and hugged her again.

"Freddie," she murmured, leaning against his chest as he ran his hand up and down her back gently. She pressed her face into his chest and allowed her own tears to fall, staining the front of his shirt.

"It's okay," he said quietly, squeezing her reassuringly, "He can't hurt you now."

"I'm so sorry," she cried, sniffing loudly.

"What do you have to be sorry for, Em?" Fred asked. He held her at arms length, his hands on her arms. "It's that bastard who should be sorry. When you came running into the common room and I saw how terrified you were, and he came running after you, I- I wanted to kill him. What he did to you was despicable."

"You know?" Emma asked quietly, not looking him in the eye.

He just nodded. "After you passed out he came running in, looking like a maniac, his face bleeding. He tried to get to you, but I blocked his way and I knocked him out. Albus and I brought you and him here to the Hospital Wing.

When Roxanne found out you were here, she's the one that put two and two together. She told me that she knew that you'd been…raped in Hogsmeade. I told her what you said before you passed out… 'Don't let him hurt me…not again,' you said. Roxanne figured it must have been him who hurt you the first time, and then tried to do it again…"

Emma watched Fred's face as he told the story. His features became more and more twisted with rage and sadness.

"I should have realized something was wrong with you. I should have protected you."

"Fred…" Emma said quietly, "You couldn't have known. I should have told you…"

"I should have realized!" he repeated, louder, "I'm supposed to protect you! I love you, Emma, can't you see that? And I let this happen to you! I couldn't protect you!" Tears flooded from his eyes again, and Emma stared at him in shock.

"Y-you…you just said you love me…" she said quietly.

"Yeah…not the way I imagined telling you, but there it is." Fred laughed slightly, brushing the tears from his eyes.

"Oh, Freddie," Emma said, throwing her arms around him. He clutched him tightly, as if her life depended on it.

"I don't expect you to say it back," he said when they pulled away from each other, "After what you've been through…I understand that you probably don't want to be with someone right now…I'll let you do whatever makes you happy, and I'll do whatever I can to make you happy. I won't force you to-."

Emma cut off his words with a long, deep, kiss. Unlike kissing Stephen, kissing Fred felt natural. His lips fit together with hers perfectly, and she only pulled away when she needed to gasp for air.

Emma laughed when she saw Fred's face, blushing a color of red so deep that it would put his Uncle Ron to shame. When the giddy feeling subsided, she leaned against his chest again.

"I love you, Fred," she said quietly, "I always have…"

He wrapped his arms around her. Not possessively like Stephen, but gentle and caring. Emma lost herself in the embrace and started to fall asleep.

"No!" he suddenly yelled, shaking her.

"What?" she yelped.

"Madam Pomfrey said that when you wake up I can't let you go back to sleep. In case you have a concussion. You have to stay awake."

Emma grumbled and sat back up.

"Where is he?" she asked quietly.

"Gone," Fred said, "Good riddance. He confessed to raping you, and then attempting it a second time. He was crazy. Laughing and saying how it 'wasn't his fault.' They carted his arse off to Azkaban straight away. He can't get to you ever again, Emma. I'll keep you safe, I promise."

* * *

><p>"Fred, stop it!" Emma tried to sound stern, but a laugh burst from her mouth.<p>

Fred grinned at her and continued poking her sides. "I can't help it, I'm excited."

"It's not like I've never been to your house before," Emma pointed out.

"Yeah, I know, but this is different!" Fred said, throwing his arms in the air. "You're not just coming for the summer, you're coming to stay!"

Emma smiled at him brightly. When Fred had asked his father if Emma could more in, George was delighted to say yes. Like his son, George hated seeing Emma suffer, knowing that her home life had been terrible. Now that Emma was of age, he was glad to take her in as if she were his own daughter.

"You just like that you'll have the opportunity to snog whenever you please," Roxanne said, not taking her eyes off her book. Emma saw her grin, and her eyes twinkle with laughter.

"Shut it, Weasley," she replied, trying to hide her blush.

"You'll have to make me," Roxanne shrugged.

"No problem!" Fred yelled, pulling out his wand. "_Silencio._"

Roxanne opened her mouth to yell at her twin, but no noise came out. She shook her fist at Fred, and advanced towards him. He yelped and stood up, opening the door of their compartment on the Hogwarts Express and bolting out before Roxanne could chase after him. Emma laughed, waving her wand and muttering the counter-curse.

Roxanne sat down next to Emma and they both heard the sound of Fred crashing into the candy trolley and the woman selling treats screaming angrily at him.

"Honestly, I do not know what you see in that git," she said, laughing.

"What can I say?" Emma asked, shrugging, "He makes me happy."

**The End! PLEASE REVIEW! **


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